This crumb cake is heaven on a plate–-to say that it is light, moist, and delicious is a total understatement. The recipe has been around since at least the mid-70s–and it’s bound to be a favorite for at least another four-or-five decades. There’s nothing fussy about this recipe–it’s simple to make, and is sure to be a hit at any brunch.
Source: Lael’s mother-in-law (and my friend:), Jill
Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes for the cake; 15 minutes for the crumb topping
Total time: 1 hour to an hour-and 15 minutes
Serves: 8-10 people
Preheat oven to 350⁰F for cake. After cake is baked, reduce heat to 325⁰F for the topping.
Cake
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- Pudding cake mix–I couldn’t find pudding cake mix, so I used a vanilla cake mix and added 1 small box (3.4 oz) of French vanilla instant pudding
Topping
- 2 sticks butter or margarine
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Combine cake ingredients. No tricks here. I followed the order in which the ingredients were listed, slightly beating the eggs before adding the other items. I also mixed the cake mix and the pudding mix together before adding them to the liquid items. That was it—no beating on medium for x minutes, and then switching to another speed for another x minutes. Simply, mix the ingredients together.
- Pour into a 13” x 9” pan and bake at 350⁰ for 30 minutes.
- Combine Topping ingredients by hand for crumbs. I used a pastry cutter. Sprinkle on top of the cake when it is done baking, and bake 15 minutes at 325.⁰ It may seem like a lot of topping but it’s not—it’s a perfect amount.

Lael had ornaments made of some of the favorite family recipes––this one was for Jill. Great idea!